The Parisian Notre-Dame burned down five years ago, and it is being repaired using medieval methods

Paris – The Notre-Dame Cathedral, an iconic monument in the heart of Paris, was engulfed in flames five years ago, on April 15, 2019. The fire spread through the roof and consumed large parts of the medieval building. The cause of the fire has not been fully clarified. Medieval techniques were used in the reconstruction of its roof, in honor of the original builders of the cathedral. The reconstruction of the exterior of the cathedral is expected to be practically completed this July, with the overall repair set to be finished in December. French President Emmanuel Macron promised the restoration of the cathedral within five years immediately after the fire.

This masterpiece of Gothic architecture, protected by UNESCO and famous for Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, had attracted nearly 13 million visitors annually before the fire. The cathedral caught fire on the evening of April 15, 2019. Before firefighters extinguished the blaze the next morning, the fire destroyed the roof, the framework, and the 19th-century spire, known as the flèche. The flames also damaged part of the vault and roofing. The interior of the cathedral was spared from more serious damage thanks to the stone vaulting, which largely held up the burning roof after its collapse.

The disaster could have been caused by a fault in the electrical system or a discarded cigarette. According to investigators, no one intentionally set fire to the cathedral. An architectural competition was announced for the reconstruction of the destroyed spire, and a public fundraiser was organized. A special state organization was set up to oversee the restoration of the sanctuary, led by retired General Jean-Louis Georgelin.

In the first phase of the reconstruction, it was necessary to remove the scaffolding that surrounded the cathedral at the time of the fire, disassemble and transport the large organ, whose 8,000 pipes were sent out for cleaning to specialists across the country. This phase also included cleaning trials in two chapels, installing supports under the arches, securing the area where the transept crosses the nave of the cathedral, and sorting and removing the ruins.

The repair was slowed down by complications during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also by the need to clean the surrounding area of toxic lead dust, which was released from the structure of the Gothic building during the fire, totaling several dozen tons of lead. The area around the cathedral therefore had to undergo deep cleaning.

Work on securing and strengthening Notre-Dame Cathedral was completed in mid-September 2021, after which the actual restoration of the cathedral could commence. For this, it was necessary to acquire a large quantity of stones of specific sizes and structures. The French Geological Survey (BRGM) searched for these for the office overseeing the restoration of the cathedral, and both institutions signed an agreement in February 2021.

The production of components for the clock mechanism in the cathedral, which was destroyed by the fire, was taken over by a watch factory in St. Petersburg, known to Czechs and Slovaks under the brand Raketa during Soviet times. They repaired the Collin clock from 1867, which controlled the movement of hands on four dials in the Paris cathedral until the fire.

At the end of summer 2022, the repair of the roof structure and vaults began. Techniques for processing wood that were introduced more than 800 years ago during the construction of this monument were used. The work with axes to produce hundreds of tons of oak beams for the framework of the new roof of Notre-Dame was a journey back in time for the carpenters. They wanted to pay tribute to the astounding craftsmanship of the original builders of the cathedral and ensure that the centuries-old art of hand-working wood continues: "We want to restore this cathedral as it was built in the Middle Ages," said Jean-Louis Georgelin. "It is a way to remain true to (handwork) of all the people who built all the extraordinary monuments in France," he added.

The roof reconstruction reached an important milestone last May when large parts of the new wooden structure were assembled and erected in a workshop in the Loire Valley in western France. For the restoration of the roof structure of the cathedral, 1,200 oak trees were carefully selected and hand-felled by the carpenters. The several-ton structure was transported to the center of the French capital by boat on the River Seine, which required the suspension of other boat traffic for several hours. The new framework of the cathedral consists of three triangular sections measuring 15 by 12 meters and weighing seven tons. A crane lifted the framework from the boat to the cathedral.

Restorers and workers replaced the destroyed 19th-century spire with a faithful replica created according to the designs of the original architect, French architect Eugène Viollet-Le-Duc. And last December, a year before its reopening, the cathedral received a cross for this new spire.

At the same time, President Macron visited the cathedral and stated that modern stained glass windows should appear in its windows. However, his statement sparked a wave of outrage among the public and hesitant reactions from professional circles. Over 67,000 people signed a petition against the plan to replace the 19th-century stained glass windows, created by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, within three days. With the new stained glass, Macron wanted to imprint "the mark of the 21st century" on the building. The original stained glass would be relocated and displayed in a newly emerging museum. However, critics of the plan argue that the glass decorations only make sense in their original location, as they are part of the architectural intent.

The final work on the cathedral will take place indoors, where it will be necessary to tune the massive organ with 8,000 pipes, which is the largest musical instrument in France.

The first mass since the fire was held in the cathedral in June 2019. It was led by Paris Archbishop Michel Aupetit, and the ceremony took place in one of the side chapels dedicated to the Virgin Mary, which was spared by the fire. This year, a small service was held in the cathedral on Good Friday, attended by only seven people. A film by director Jean-Jacques Annaud titled Notre-Dame on Fire, released in 2022, is also dedicated to the Notre-Dame fire.